Informed Consent

1260 Words3 Pages

The world is full of questions. People are constantly searching for answers. People read, explore, and investigate to find answers. Researchers are professionals who search for answers but they are governed by rules and regulations on how to set up studies to find answers. Ethics are the guidelines or standards used by researchers when setting up a study. Ethical research studies abide by the guidelines set up by the American Psychological Association (APA). They need to understand concept of risk to benefit ratio. One of the ethical guidelines explored in this paper is informed consent and the impact on psychological research. Under the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, section 8.02 explains informed consent. Research is important but guidelines are necessary to protect the researchers and the participants and to make sure the results are valid and reliable.

Ethics

Many refer to ethics as the moral stature of what a person believes is right or wrong. Ethics do help a reasonable person refrain from doing what society has determined to be wrong such as murder or rape, as well as other wrongs and they influence morals, beliefs and principles. Ethics are logical and rational standards of right and wrong that guide a human being by determining what a person should do. Standards of ethics include accepted basic rights, obligations, value to society, objectivity, justice, or specific moralities. Ethics include qualities such as honesty, compassion, and loyalty as well as rights such as right to life and right to privacy. Ethical standards are supported by consistent and substantiated explanations. Ethics are a continuous study within one’s self to ensure one’s standards are reasonable, practical, and und...

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...make sure the participant is informed of all aspects of the study, the risks involved, and debrief them when the study is over. Research is important but guidelines must be followed to ensure the participant has knowledge of all aspects of the study and is a willing and informed participant.

Works Cited

American Psychological Association. (2011). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Retrieved from http://http//:www.apa.org/ethic/code/index.aspx

Pranati, P. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 1(4), 124-127. doi:10.4103/2229-3485.71769

Sand, K., Kaasa, S., & Loge, J.H. AJOB Primary Research, 1(2), 4-24. doi:10.1080/1080/21507711003771405

Shaughnessy, J.J., Zechmeister, E. B., & Zechmeister, J.S. (2009). Research Methods in Psychology (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.Research Methods in Psychology (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

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